552-point F1 driver admits he’s ‘not looking forward’ to racing at Spa this weekend

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa is one of the most historical races on the Formula 1 calendar.

Spa-Francorchamps hosted its first Grand Prix in 1925 and was one of the circuits on the calendar for the first official F1 championship in 1950.

It’s not been an ever-present track in Formula 1, with races cancelled due to safety concerns in 1969 and 1971, and other Belgian circuits such as Nivelles and Zolder given hosting rights in the 1970s and 1980s.

However, Spa has always been a test of a driver’s talent and their bravery, particularly heading up the steep hill at Eau Rouge.

It’s a track that suits cars with high top speeds, and Ferrari and McLaren have fared well at Spa in the past.

Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna are the two most successful drivers at the Belgian Grand Prix, and a win for Max Verstappen would see him match Lewis Hamilton’s tally of four wins at the track.

READ MORE: Who are the most successful drivers in the history of the Belgian Grand Prix

However, not every driver is a huge fan of racing at the notorious wet and miserable Spa-Francorchamps.

Speaking to Sky Sports Deutschland after the race in Hungary, Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg shared his thoughts on the upcoming race.

Hulkenberg is in fantastic form at the moment, recording back-to-back 6^th-place finishes in Austria and Silverstone.

The Hungaroring wasn’t the most suitable track for Haas’s car and both he and Kevin Magnussen were unable to finish in the points.

Unfortunately, Hulkenberg – who has 552 points in his F1 career thus far – isn’t optimistic about his team’s chances at Spa on Sunday.

They may need some help from the weather to try and close the six-point gap to RB in the Constructors’ Championship.

READ MORE: Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height

Nico Hulkenberg is not optimistic about Haas’s chances at Spa

Asked about his chances in the Belgian Grand Prix, Hulkenberg said: “I’m not looking forward to it, let’s see what happens. Last year it didn’t go so well. This year we feel like things should suit us better in terms of the car. There are always some surprises, so let’s wait and see.”

Hulkenberg’s joint-best result in Formula 1 came at Spa all the way back in 2012 while driving for Force India.

He finished 4^th behind Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen and was only a couple of seconds away from the former Finnish world champion as he crossed the finish line.

The German matched that achievement during his final season with Force India in 2016 but is still waiting for his first podium finish after more than 200 Grand Prix.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship

Haas have a much more positive 2024 season despite Ayao Komatsu’s ominous pre-season prediction

Few F1 fans would have expected Haas to not only be off the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship but have a 27-point advantage over Sauber at the halfway stage of the campaign.

However, the team are outperforming expectations and unlike many of their rivals, every update they add to the car seems to be having a positive effect.

Before the season started, Gene Haas replaced Guenther Steiner with Ayao Komatsu as team principal.

Komatsu suggested Haas had a ‘real car issue’ before the start of the season and Haas were late to developing their 2024 car which would put them on the back foot.

Those ominous predictions have turned out to be unfounded and with a brand new driver line-up to look forward to in 2025, the future looks bring under Komatsu at Haas.